Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

Stern follow up

Little did I know when I posted that last blog that Adam Stern was going to be the most prominent figure of this game, making a bold, diving catch to save it for Papelbon.

The easy thing would have been for Stern to play the ball on one-hop as one or two-run single that would have made it either 7-5 or 7-6. But instead, he threw caution to the wind and made a tremendous catch.

Frankly, I think the Red Sox will keep Stern on the roster until Coco returns. He’ll at least get to play against righties and serve as a valued defensive replacement, which definitely helped the Sox win this game.

The one thing the Red Sox don’t want for Stern is for him to rot on the bench. As long as Coco is out, he won’t.

What an ending to tonight’s game. Manny finally has his big night, but he gets rendered to footnote status after they can’t hold the lead. Big, big hit by Youkilis with two outs in the eighth after Gonzalez strikes out. This kid can hit and he’s not scared.

You have to like the way the Red Sox are playing right now. It’s not like they’re winning with mirrors. They’re basically just playing winning baseball, mixing up hitting, pitching and timely D.

Schilling tomorrow. Talk to you then.

Ian.

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

14 Comments

Stern should stay. Harris is struggling in Pawtucket( .291 .277 .170 .568 ). The SOX are winning with CHARACTER. Do not mess with success and reward those who are selfless team players like Stern. ITS STERN’s TURN – let it play out.

I disagree with P.comey.
I believe if Stern is ever to become an everyday, valuable outfielder for us or for someone else, he needs to continue to develope and he can’t do that unless he plays everyday.

I believe that’s why Wily Mo hasn’t advanced any faster/further, because at a very young age he was out of options and thrust into MLB action. A player needs time to develope and he can’t do that in a utility role.

I feel as if Stern is on his way to Gabe Kapler status. He’ll get his time in by playing some outfield, he has some wheels, he is strong defensively…and I think the fans are really behind him right now. I assume he will stick around until Coco comes back, and then go to the minors to play everyday. Does anyone think Stern could play right? I hate to say it but I don’t see this team throwing around big money to re-sign Trot after this year. Stern could hit righties and WillyMo the lefties. Anyone? anyone?….no? okay.

If it’s a question of Stern -vs- Harris during Coco’s absence, then you have to go with Stern. If your concern is speed, I’d venture to guess that Stern is as quick in the 90 feet from 1st to 2nd as Harris. Plus, Stern has done more with the bat this spring than Harris has. And even without last night’s “immaculate” catch, Stern is pretty solid defensively. But, assuming Coco is back at the top of the line-up when the Sox come back from their 9-day road trip, it’s a mute discussion. Harris will remain at AAA, and Stern will head back down.

What about Mohr? He has a decent amount of big-league experience and has been getting it done at the plate. When Coco comes back and Stern invariably heads back down to the Paw-Sox (to be an everyday player), will Mohr be able to fill that #25 position on the bench? I think the argument could easily be made that Stern (and WMP for that matter) need the at-bats and playing time that AAA will provide, while Mohr is a little further along. Any ideas?

Speaking of Gabe Kapler, lapinskij, what is going on with him? Where is he? I heard today that he is at least 6 weeks away from a rehab start. How does he fit in on the roster? I do not see him on a D.L.

the reason Kapler is not listed on the DL is because he is not on the 40-man roster. the Red Sox brought him back as a non-roster invitee and signed him to a Minor League contract. Assuming he gets healthy and they can create a spot for him, they would then move Kapler on to the Major League roster.

You gotta like the way Lowell has settled into his role with this team. I think he was pressing last year as he was one of their main producers. However, with the Sox he knows that hes not expected to produce as much. He looks comfortable at the plate, taking hacks and not worrying about it. I think hes going to surprise a lot of people this year.

I could kind of sense that Lowell was gonna come to Boston, flourish in Fenway and feel comfortable in the lower half of this order. What I didn’t expect was for Youkilis to produce like he has so far….but I like it.

Done deal, Stern is going down to the PawSox to develop. The quotes he gave show that he is a very mature kid and the organization is going to be blessed having him around. I hope we get to enjoy watching him in a RS uniform for a long time.
Anyone want to start a pool for how many dents Lowell is going to put in the Green Monster this year? Talk about being suited to a ball park, he doesn’t even look like he is pulling the ball when he bounces a double off the wall.

I agree with wlwheel2. I think Stern should go to AAA…not because I dislike him or think he hasn’t been contributing. (I watch the games from Texas via MLB.com and my internet feed died in the ninth the other night. I kept my mom on the phone an extra 15 minutes so she could tell me what happened since she had NESN on at home.) I just think it’s in his own best interest as a player to get more playing time. And it may pay off in the long run for the Red Sox.

bjmcsorley touches on the elephant in the corner: how do you get more playing time (and maturation) for WMP. He’s out of minor league options, and I think he has a much greater long-term potential impact on the Red Sox than Stern, Mohr or Harris. WMP is still 24, and has the build and (physical and mental) conditioning to play another 15 years in the big leagues. He also hits balls further than Ortiz, and under the Dominican wings of Ramirez and Ortiz he could flourish. Ortiz also used to be much more of a hacker with a huge blindspot in his swing. I say the Sox hunker down and find a way to play WMP as much as possible and know that he may strike out 150 times this year. It’s an investment that could pay off in huge dividends (including the intangible of giving Manny another reason to stick around Boston).

Since the Red Sox sent Adam Stern down to Pawtucket, the Red Sox have gone 1-3 in the four games after the Sox sent Stern and 0-3 prior todays 6-3 victory over the Blue Jays. I think Adam Stern is the second best centerfielder on the Red Sox and should play everyday while Coco’s gone with the exception for an opposing left handed pitcher on the mound. I think the Red Sox should recall Stern back up to Boston and send Willie Harris back down to Pawtucket.

Meta

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.